Steady as she goes – Sailing by Mercator’s chart

How do you find your way on the open sea? You can forget about it if you do not have a proper map of the world. However, making such a map is a quite complex process. Try creating a good representation of a spherical shape like the Earth on a flat world map. The solution found by the 16th century cartographer Mercator became world-famous because sailors were able to plot their courses on nautical charts using a straight line for the first time. Discover everything about navigation at sea – both with and without Mercator’s map - at the family exhibition ‘Steady as she goes!’ Historical maps, distorting mirrors and film clips will help you, but you will also be working with globes, binoculars, compasses, the stars and modern navigation equipment such as satellites and GPS. The only remaining copy of Mercator’s world map in atlas format and his recently restored globe can also be admired at the exhibition.

Maritiem Museum Rotterdam

The Rotterdam Maritime Museum is among the best maritime museums in the world, presenting a wide range of exhibits and events for young and old. There is also the Professor Plons interactive exhibit for children.

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